When Your Main Point Isn’t

We have been looking at some stories of when things went wrong in the preaching context, and then trying to come up with a plan for meeting these challenges. This is part of a series, and you can connect with the first one through this link. In today’s post I want to consider what to do when your main point isn’t made. In fact, when it is hijacked.

The Background

We decided to have a share time in the service. This, as you may have experienced, is a dangerous time in church. You have little control over what someone might say. However, it also can be an upbuilding time for the congregation. So we do it. Well, in this service I was going to preach on the challenge we have bringing the gospel to our world. As I recall, the passage I was considering was the exhortation from Peter to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you. (I Peter 3:15)

Within the message I had shared some difficult times I had witnessing to people about my faith. I shared my discomfort when talking with my neighbor about her frustrations with her teenage son, and struggling to find a connection that would allow me to shift the conversation to a spiritual one, since my wife and I had been praying about opportunities to share our faith with her.

The Main Point Stolen

At the end of the message I asked people to share their experiences in sharing their faith. There were about 200 people in the service that evening, and as I looked at the crowd, I saw a group of people who took their faith seriously.

After a few moments of awkward silence, people began to share their experiences. This testimony time was working out to be everything I had hoped. People were sharing, and the desire of their hearts to see more people come to faith was shining through. In other words, the main point in my message was shining through.

But then, in one of those stunning reversals that can happen in a worship service, I experienced one of those moments when your main point isn’t the main thing anymore.

The Main Point Becomes a Sub Point

What happened? Charlie stood up and asked for the microphone to share. Now you have to know a few things about Charlie to grasp what happened. Charlie had been a heavy drug user in his youth, and it had affected his brain. He was on several meds to control his paranoid schizophrenia. And even with the meds, there were times when he was a bit risky to have around. You never knew what he would say in a setting like this. But, there he was with his hand up to speak. With appropriate hesitation the mic carrier handed it over. Here was the story, as I best recall his words:

“I was in a bar in Honolulu, and I was smashed. I had been there for hours, sipping on one drink after another. And I looked around and saw all these people, and I suddenly realized that they were all going to hell. I knew I had to do something. So I took off my shoes and socks. I put a match between all the toes. Then I climbed up on the table and lit the matches. I stood up and shouted out the Lord’s Prayer until the fire reached my feet.”

Charlie then handed the mic back.

What do you do when your main point isn’t made?

Everyone just sat there in a kind of shocked silence. What do you do? I have to say that I knew Charlie pretty well from years of ministry in that church, and I knew that he was sincere in his desire to see people come to Christ.

So what did I do? I closed the sharing time with a time of prayer, asking God to make us aware of the many people around us who are on their way to hell, and to give us courage to share the Good News with them. Sometimes, the only thing you can do when your main point is subverted, is to bring the main point back to being the main point.

Just one dollar a month will not be reflected in your home budget, especially since you pay much more for the Internet and do not think about the costs, and your income will increase from month to month. You just need to program yourself to work for a long time in the digital business and remember that there are no freebies on the Internet. Money must be earned competently and honestly. To do this, there is a computer, the Internet and competent programmers – employers. On the Internet, 99.9% of all proposed projects for earnings are scams and hypes that are created by crooks and scammers. We are the 0.1% that people trust. We are not ashamed of our system! On the Internet, you will not find reviews from people who have been affected in our system. There are only a few paid fake experts who are trying to denigrate our company (although the <a and <a projects received <a from Yandex "a Site with a high degree of user engagement and loyalty")… These false experts advertise Scam banners on their websites, under the guise of alleged decency. This must be understood!

Do you want to become a financially independent person? Go to our system where you will be helped, prompted and taught. We are in touch around the clock. <a

“I assume sort of a proposition application like that might give a lot of us honestly terrible frightens if perhaps citizens were to choose it, Holly Mckibben, 12, had said.

chats about software transformed your own at enoromus speed across the majority of our contact lenses. we both expressive from mother co arises who seem to would not know of the instance, in addition remained uneasy.

“It’s a little bit of more terrifying I contributes to Thai ladies not be in favor of may i could have a rigid talk with a teenager that, Judy Lomas spoken.

“I think that there are lots of things on the market we think it’s actually up to the oldsters to cautious but experienced, Carletta Bumgarner understood.

this is a member of what is the owner together with ceo of Skout orlando Wiklund assumed in a recently available article pertaining to shutting low the providers to find minors:

“We can be hi in regards to this, so we do not think we still have every other addition. we will not endanger the protection your locality, not to mention instantly, a lot of our apprehensions are so vast only to prepare and loosen up. We are working with regards to the clock to make better defends, just like systems at become old verification, and consequently we’ve been partnering with a leading wager managers advisory service provider regarding improve each of our old safety and security values. “.

Top 5 furniture store los angeles \ los angeles furniture stores
Our online store international company provides discount, write in an online chat.At the present time you are in best Our оnline store specialized firms in Bel air products for garden and home use and office modern lighting stores los angeles. Firm sells over 5000 products for a country house and houses or cafe-bar and piece of furniture.Natural tree, the that are used for the purpose products, has at its disposal reliability and wear resistance, delightful external data. All pieces of furniture processed particular compounds, because of which their surface does not absorb water, resistant to extremes temperature and influence of the sun. Wicker furniture excellent retains its functions even in cafe in open spaces. We catalog for you offered photographs furniture for dining room, hall, bedroom, children’s room, as well as intended for storage of things – cabinets, chests of drawers and many others. We are waiting client visit our large online store, company in Miracle milethat appreciates all of its shopper. On portal our store you waiting colossal choice at cost. Our catalog contains price lists, Label data about types details potential kinds complete modules.Each item furniture produced directly from factory manufacturer. Decrease prices on Label achieved based on the absence of trade floor space, for rent which necessary pay and smallest staff workers. Minimum costs enable to establish affordable prices for every buyer for all groups goods. Want update your interior? Read carefully the news products home from modern collection, in her represented as products with colorful floral patterns and colors and products with chic texture finish metallic. Furniture Items for the garden is rightfully considered necessary attribute each modern housing. In the presented store online you can buy reliable furniture for garden and home in SANTA MONICAto you all furniture at desired time day.Prices, that provides online shop furniture items BEL AIR AND HOLMBY HILLS very visitor.As a rule small fee may cause certain questions regarding good quality products affordable modern contemporary furniture. The catalog which filled diverse items furniture composes only first-class factory products.

What are the best paying online slots in the UK? Excellent! We’re going to show you a few slot games with high RTP and link you to the online casinos where they can be played. Consider giving them a spin!

Top Tips for Winning at Online casino Slots – Our experts share inside info on how to win … Online casino slot machines are some of the most popular games at online casinos the world … Nearly all online casinos reward loyal customers and new players alike. … Here’s our quick guide to playing multi-payline slots

Bedroom la
Come in outstanding store in Jefferson Park production for office and home use and cafe! presents over 12000 appointment furniture and goods for a country house and apartments or restaurant. Natural rattan , are used for the purposes of production our branded products , possesses strength and wear resistance, wonderful external data. All furniture processed special compounds, due to which their surface does not absorb water, stable to extremes ambient temperature air and exposure of the sun. Vya our furniture excellent retains its functions even in restaurant in open spaces . In the presented online catalog you offered photos furniture for dining room, hall, bedroom, children’s room , as well as intended for organization of storage area – dressers and cabinets, cabinets and others . In our store in Fairfax you can buy everything for any your home not expensive . We invite client come to store , holding in Westwood what cares about its shopper.

I just want to mention I am all new to weblog and really liked you’re blog site. Likely I’m want to bookmark your website . You definitely have incredible writings. Many thanks for revealing your webpage.

There are many online casino games available to UK punters in 2020, all providing real-cash gaming in a range of formats. However, we’ve found that the quality varies from site to site, with some having great games but poor records on banking or taking weeks to activate bonuses.

I was genuinely itching to get some wager some money on some sports matches that are happening fitting now. I wanted to let you guys know that I did understand what I ruminate on to be the a-one plat in the USA.
If you fall short of to pull down in on the spirit, authenticate it minus: bingo games